


I don't need you...

by chartrand1331



Category: The Royal Romance (Visual Novel)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Second Chance Romance, Second Chances
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:27:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27770713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chartrand1331/pseuds/chartrand1331
Summary: After 5 years apart, Drake and Katrina come face to face.He wants a second chance but she's on the fence.
Relationships: Drake Walker/Main Character (The Royal Romance)
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

The phone in my hotel room rings out early morning. It’s not my parents calling about Annabelle, my daughter, because they would’ve called my cell phone. No, this is either the downstairs reception, my brother or one of six cousins who are on this business trip with me. I sit on the side of the bed, grab the receiver and put it up to my ear.

“Hello,” I say in a cheery enough voice.  
“Hey, did I wake you?” It’s my cousin Shannon.  
“Does this sound like someone who just woke up?” I reply.  
“Insomnia? Still?”  
“Five years and counting... Anyways, you called?”  
“Yeah, I was going to hit the gym before we leave for the conference. You wanna come?” she asks.  
  
My cousin has been on this health kick lately and I admire her for it. Ever since my accident five years ago, I have these constant pains all over my body. Not long after I joined the army, a bomb went off near my building and I got hit pretty bad. The amount of operations I’ve had over the years because of it has left me with some pretty bad scar tissue pains. Some days are better than others though.  
  
I sit there and let myself listen to my body. My feet feel fine and so do my legs. My hips are a bit stiff but if I get up and moving, they should loosen up. My shoulders and arms however, do not feel so good. They took the brunt of the explosion and I’ve lost so much range of motion, particularly my right shoulder. Because of that, I can barely lift five pound weights for more than a couple of reps.

“Yeah, I’ll join you but I can only do lower body exercises,” I tell her, “Just give me five minutes to get dressed.”  
“Great!”  
  
^^^

The conference I’m attending with my brother and cousins is about this new software to help improve the company’s, well, everything regarding logistics. It’s as boring as it sounds and it doesn’t help that the person giving the speech has a monotone voice. Shannon is sitting next to me and despite her kale with vanilla protein shake that gives her energy, she’s yawning her ass off.  
When monotone voice guy finally announces it’s time for a thirty minute break, I am on my feet and practically running to the bar for a drink. Since I’m taking a ton of medications, I order a glass of water with extra ice and three lemon slices, so I can chew on the ice afterwards. Iron deficiency anemia is so much fun.... Sense the sarcasm.  
  
The bartender hands me the drink and I tell him to charge it to my room. I take one step away from the bar and someone bumps into me, making me spill most of my water on me. _Thank God I didn’t lose any ice._ I turn to the asshole- or bitch- who bumped into me and as I’m about to say s _orry,_ my heart leaps into my throat and I can’t even utter the word.  
  
Liam Rys, one of my good friends from my John Abbott College and McGill University days, is standing right in front of me. A friend I haven’t seen in five years, ever since... _No, Katrina! Don’t think of him!  
_ “Liam! What are you doing here?” I finally get the nerves to ask.  
“I imagine the same reason as you; To hear all about the new software from S-T Gateway,” he tells me.  
“Wait! You didn’t join your father at the restaurant?” I ask.  
“No. Maxwell came up with this amazing idea and the more I thought about it, the more it made sense to just join him.”  
“What is it? A dance company or a peacock farm?” I chuckle, remembering the time the four of us got so high and Maxwell told us he thought peacocks were majestic. Liam laughs and shakes his head.  
“You must have heard of Dr. Jason Fung and how he promotes the Ketogenic diet along with intermittent fasting for his diabetic patients?”  
“I have...”  
“Well, we are the only store in Quebec that offers frozen keto meals, meal plans, strength training routines, all that jazz...”  
  
I nod. “I’m impressed Maxwell came up with that.”  
“Yeah! Even Drake was all in. He came into a small fortune and he pretty much gave the company the start it needed.” At the mention of Drake, I drop my gaze from Liam’s eyes.  
Drake and I were in a serious relationship until he made it pretty clear he wanted absolutely nothing to do with me. That was five years ago.  
  
“Is... is he here?” I ask Liam.  
“Oh fuck! I’m sorry, Katrina! I didn’t even think... Yes he’s here. But you know him, he hates big crowds so he went up to his room for a drink.”  
“Oh, well, I better get back to my brother and them,” I say as I walk away.  
Liam gently grabs my arm and tells me that he would like to talk later.  
“My room number is 2000, swing by after 10.”  
He lets me go and I make a bee-line to my family.  
  
^^^  
  
After the conference, my family and I decide to go out for dinner. For most of the day, I’ve been feeling paranoid that I’d see Drake. Every time someone would tap me on the shoulder, my heart would stop beating for approximately 10 seconds, just enough time for me to turn around and realize it wasn’t Drake.  
We order our meals and drinks and they all start talking. It’s not unusual for me not to talk much during family get-together’s but they’ve noticed that I’m in Lalaland. Bruce, the one cousin who rarely talks to me speaks up.  
“Earth to Rina! You OK?” he asks and now everyone is looking at me.  
“Not really but thanks for noticing.”  
“What’s wrong?”  
“Nothing...” I say but I know my family, they won’t give up until I give them a reason. I could lie and say that my parents called and told me that Annabelle fell down and scraped her knee or something stupid but I decide against it. “I saw an old friend and he told me that my ex-boyfriend is here.”  
“Tobias?” Shannon asks.  
“No, Toby and I never dated,” I shake a finger her way, “Drake Walker is in town for the conference.”  
“Oh,” everyone said in unison.  
  
The rest of the meal was pleasant except for Keith and Bruce getting piss drunk. My brother and Shannon had to haul their asses up to their rooms. Once upon a time, I would have been helping them but since I’m now a weakling, I can’t do much.  
  
It’s a quarter to ten when there’s a knock on my door. I walk over and answer it. Liam is standing there with a bouquet of flowers.  
“A peace offering,” he says, extending his arm towards me. I take them from him and thank him before stepping aside and letting him in. “Sorry, I’m early but I just couldn’t wait any longer.”  
I close the door behind me and say “Alright, two questions. One, peace offering?”  
“Ah... well, we haven’t seen each other in five years and I realize that I could have called you up during that time to see if you were doing OK. But I didn’t and when we spoke earlier, I realized how much I’ve missed you.”  
“Sure. Two. You couldn’t wait any longer?”  
  
Liam sighs.  
  
“You need to tell me what happened between you and Drake all those years ago.”  
“Wait! He never told you what happened?”  
“You know how Drake is... He’s a grumpy, sullen, irritable person who doesn’t talk much. Whatever happened between you two really did a number on him. I need to know what happened.”  
“Typical Drake...” I mutter.  
  
I sit down in the chair near the tiny round table and Liam takes the seat opposite.  
“Five years ago, after one of my shifts, my boss called me into his office. There was a man there and he offered me a six month contract to join the army. My record as a trauma surgeon of only 3 deaths in 4 years had caught their attention. Apparently things were tough overseas and they needed the best of the best. But it was ultimately up to me if I wanted to go or not. I had 24 hours decide.” I picked up a chunk of ice from the ice bucket and chewed it before continuing my story.  
“When I got home and told Drake, he basically had a hissy fit and we got into a fight. I said some things that I wish I hadn’t and then he went off on me. His words hurt me and I needed a break. I told him that I was going for a walk to get some air.” I chew on some more ice.  
“I walked over to my brother’s house which wasn’t even that far, he was home and I told him what happened. Before he was done asking what was more important; Drake or my job, I was walking out the door saying “ _Nothing_ is more important than Drake.” When I got back to the house, not even twenty five minutes later, Drake was gone. He packed up all his things and left. I tried calling him but he disconnected his phone”.  
  
Liam slams a hand on the table and says “The motherfucker told me he lost his phone which didn’t make any sense to me at the time but now I understand.” He sighs again and let’s me continue.  
“Anyways, I couldn’t stay in that house when the love of my life just walked out on me so I joined the army. Maybe three days later, there was an attack in front of my hospital. I was on break, enjoying a coffee when the bomb exploded very close to me. I don’t remember much but I remember waking up in a hospital bed and someone was holding my hand. I called out Drake’s name but it was Toby. He and my mom were taking turns keeping me company. We eventually moved in together but we were never a couple. We had separate rooms but we did...” I shake my hand in a way one does when they say _yatta yatta yatta_ , “from time to time.”  
  
Liam looks at me with a grossed out look on his face. “Tobias?”  
I laugh and say “Yeah, I know... It was easy, he was right there... Anyways, the condom broke one time and despite being on birth control pills, I got pregnant.”  
“You have a child with Toby?”  
“Yes and no... See, the baby was born ten weeks early. I wasn’t feeling well and the baby was being extra feisty so I decided to go to the birthing centre to see if something was wrong. Well, I was in active labour and a blood test showed that I was sepsis so they did an emergency cesarean section. My son survived two weeks before NEC took his life.”  
  
“Neck?” Liam asks.  
“As in N-E-C, or Necrotizing Entrocolitis. It’s an intestinal disease that happens often in preemies. Because I was sick from sepsis, so was he. His little body just couldn’t take it. I stopped all medical intervention because even I, a top ten best trauma surgeon in Montreal, wouldn’t have tried to save him with an operation.”  
“Anyways, Toby became a fucking nightmare to live with after that. He was verbally abusive towards me, basically yelling at me, saying that I killed our baby. I couldn’t take it anymore so I kicked him out.”  
  
Liam placed his hand over mine.  
“I’m so sorry you had to go through that.” I give him a soft smile that doesn’t reach my eyes.  
“Anyways, I took the time to grieve but I still felt empty. So I decided to go ahead and be a single mom. I went to a fertility clinic and chose a sperm donor, I did IUI and I got pregnant with my daughter. She’s nearly two years old now. Would you like to see a photo of her?”  
  
“Oh, I’d love to!”  
I open my phone and show him a recent picture of my baby girl. When he sees the picture, his facial expression goes blank for about ten seconds before smiling again.  
“She’s beautiful, Katrina. Do you know who the father is?” he asks me.  
“No, it’s 100% anonymous but the donor did put down on his application that he’d be willing to meet the child when they reach the age of majority.”  
“What did you name her?” he asks.  
I hesitate before saying “Annabelle,” and he gives me a knowing look.  
“Annabelle... Isn’t that the name-”  
“Yes.”  
Liam is referring to the night Drake and I decided to move in together.  
  
 _Drake had the day off and he spent the day with me. During the day, we decided that it was a great time for us to move in together. We had been dating for 8 years, it was only logical that we’d move on to the next level of our relationship.  
Maxwell and Liam came over for supper and after Drake and I told them we were moving in together, Maxwell asked if we’d be getting married.  
“I think kids would be more logical. Why waste money on a huge wedding when we could put that money towards our family,” I say.  
“I couldn’t agree more,” Drake agreed __with a smile_ _. “We’_ _ll_ _have a little daughter named Elizabeth-”  
“Ummm, I dunno? I’ve always liked __the name_ _Anna,” I interject.  
“How about a compromise? Annabeth? Or __even_ _Annabelle?” Drake said.  
“Annabelle... I really like that name.”  
“A daughter named Annabelle then!” he grinned at me and leaned over for a kiss._ _  
_

“When I found out that I was having a girl, I went through _all_ the baby girl names but I kept coming back to Annabelle. I figured I’d never see Drake again so it wouldn’t have matter anyways...”

There’s a couple of minutes of silence between the two of us. Despite my insomnia, the day has been pretty hectic, paranoid and worried that I’d run into Drake, so I feel sleepy.  
“It’s getting late, Liam. I hope I’ve answered all your questions.”  
“Yes, it has been very enlightening.”  
  
We stand up from our seats, give each other a hug and I walk Liam to the door. I’m about to get into bed when there’s a knock on the door. It’s Liam.  
“Here’s mine and Maxwell’s numbers. Call us. We should get together some time,” he says handing me a paper with two phone numbers on it.  
I smile at him and say “I will” before closing the door and going to bed.


	2. Chapter 2

Shannon called me again this morning to go to the gym before the conference. She actually woke me up. Maybe stress is what helps me sleep? I went with her because I felt decent enough but this time I had my Expos ball cap on and some sunglasses. If Drake were to come in the gym, and with a body like his, he definitely would, I could probably slip out without him glancing at me twice.   
  
“What’s with the sunglasses, you trying to be Corey Hart or something?” my cousin asks.   
“Oh, ha-ha!” I say, dripping with sarcasm. “I’m hungover,” I lied.   
“Bullshit, you don’t drink anymore! This is about Drake, isn’t it?”  
I sigh then roll my eyes and head at simultaneously.   
“If you must know, yes.”  
  
She nods a bit and focuses on her running for a bit before turning back to me.   
“What exactly happened between you two? I know you two fought, but who left who?” she asks.   
“He packed up, left and he even changed his number. He made it pretty clear he never wanted to see me again,” I say, sounding annoyed while jumping on the sides of the treadmill. “Now, can we get back to our fucking workout? I don’t want to think or talk about the jerk who broke my heart.”  
  
Shannon got the message loud and clear because for the rest of the day, she didn’t even mention his name once. Actually, she was even scared to look my way after that.  
  
^^^

When I get back to my hotel room, I call my parents to see how they and Annabelle are holding up. My mom answers the phone and says “I thought I told you not to call us?”  
“I know. I just miss my baby girl. More now since I got some bad news last night.”  
“Bad news? You brother didn’t say anything when I spoke to him this morning.” she says.   
“Oh, did you tell him off for calling you?” I say with a heavy sarcasm.   
“You are a helicopter parent, Katrina. You need to relax a bit and let...”  
“You’ve never lost a child! You have no clue what it feels like. Every little cough or fever Annabelle gets, my PTSD kicks in and I fear the worst. It’s... it’s...” _and now I’m fucking panicking!  
_ “Katrina, breathe! Take off your shoes and socks and ground yourself. Go eat or drink something.”  
  
I take a few deep breaths and I start to feel better. It’s a couple of minutes before I can talk again.   
“Mom...”  
“Yes?”  
“Drake is here.”  
There’s a deafening silence on the line. “Mom?”  
  
I can hear my father walking in the front door and my little girl laughing. I can just picture it. My mom is in the kitchen at the end of the hallway talking on the portable phone. My father walking in and sees my mom in a nearly catatonic state because he says “Trish, what’s wrong?” and runs down the hall. He takes the phone from my mom and gives his signature “Yellow?” a mix between _Yeah_ and _Hello.  
“_Hey dad, it’s just me.”  
“Are you OK?”   
“Yeah, I just told mom that Drake is here at the convention and she went quiet.”  
  
Now it’s my father’s turn to go quiet while Annabelle begs to watch TV. I can hear my mom mumble something to her as they walk towards the front of the house and into the living room.   
“You better tell that motherfucker to stay the fuck away from you! Do you fucking hear me?”

I can only laugh and shake my head... My father and his love for the work _fuck_...  
  
“I haven’t exactly seen him but he’s here. I’m doing my best to avoid him. Don’t you worry about that, dad.”  
“Good! I have to start making supper, is there anything else you needed to say?”  
“Yeah, tell Annabelle that I love her and I’ll see her tomorrow night.”  
“Alright, Baby. Have a good ride home.”   
Thanks dad, love you.”  
  
I put down the receiver and pick up the little paper Liam handed me yesterday. I pull my phone out of my Vans checker board purse and program theirs numbers into it. I’m hovering over Liam’s number, deciding if I should call him or not when there’s a knock on the door.   
I get up from my spot on the bed and walk over to the door. I look into the peep hole where I can see Liam and standing next to him is Maxwell with a giant smile on his face. I open the door and Maxwell rushes in to give me a tight squeeze.   
  
“Oh, how I’ve missed you! The gang hasn’t been the same without you!” Maxwell exclaims.   
“I missed you too,” I tell him and Liam closes the door behind him.  
“Why didn’t you call us? I know you have issues with Drake but you could’ve called to say ‘hi’ or something...”   
My chin rests on my chest. I totally understand where he is coming from. I should have called to check in but I didn’t want to take the chance of calling and Drake was standing next to him. “I’m sorry. The breakup was kinda rough and it felt like since you two were his friends first, he got you in the _divorce._ ”  
“Don’t worry your pretty little head about it. We’re all to blame and we’re all here now!” Maxwell says while launching himself onto my bed and bouncing a few times.   
  
Liam and I sit down on the chairs that are in the room and the three of us chat about what we’ve been up to. Maxwell tells me all about his ideas for the Keto store he opened and how he got refused for a loan but then Drake lent him the money to start the business. I make a mental not to check it out one day.  
Liam tells Maxwell that I have a kid. At this news, Maxwell shoots out of the bed and yells “Shut up! No way! My little Katrina is growing up! Let’s see this little rascal!”   
I take my phone out of my pocket and find the latest picture of Annabelle. I hand it to Maxwell and his smile disappears when he sees her. “Oh my God” I hear him whisper.   
“What?”  
Maxwell looks up at me. He still has a shocked look on his face.   
“Oh, nothing... I just didn’t know that babies can be so beautiful. You really have a gorgeous baby. Dark brown hair and blue eyes... It’s not often you see that, don’t you think?”  
Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Liam giving Maxwell a look that says _don’t go there.  
_ “My mom has light brown hair and blue eyes. I’m pretty sure she got them from my mom.”  
Maxwell nods and hands me back my phone. He smiles and says “Well, she’s a very pretty little girl and I can’t wait to meet her! I can be Uncle Maxwell!” he says and I can’t help but laugh.   
  
After raiding the mini bar, Liam says that he needs to get some sleep so he can catch the plane tomorrow morning.   
“What flight? Does it leave at 11am?” I ask.  
“Yep, that’s the one!” Maxwell says.   
My heart starts thumping in my chest.   
“Business class? Is Drake going to be with you?”  
“Yes...” Liam says.   
  
I sigh. “I guess I’ll take the train home tomorrow. I’ll have to tell my parents that they’ll have to keep Annabelle another night...”  
  
^^^  
 **  
** **Drake’s POV  
** When I wake up, I dress in my shorts and t-shirt and head towards the hotel’s gym. I start off with a 15 minute jog on a treadmill to get the blood pumping. After that, I do a couple sets each of squats, deadlifts and pushing & pulling exercises. Ever since breaking up with Katrina, engineering and strength training have been my escape. Very rarely will I take a day off from exercising. I push myself to my limits so my brain can stop overthinking for a bit.   
  
When I’m done here, I go back to my room, take a shower, get dressed and pack up my things. When I make it to the lobby, Liam and Maxwell are there.   
“Ready for the plane ride home?” Liam asks.  
“You know? Not really... Not long enough. I just want to be alone with my thoughts.”  
Liam nods. He understands me. We’ve been friends since we were still in diapers. Liam is probably the only person who truly knows me better than anyone in the world.  
“Going to rent a car, then?” he asks.  
“Actually, yeah! That sounds great! A nice seven hour car ride is exactly what I need!”  
  
After we check out, we take an Uber to the airport and we part ways. My friends wait in line for the automated check-in machine while I make my way to arrivals and wait in line for a car. There’s one person at the desk talking to an AVIS employee and two other people waiting ahead of me. The first guy gets the keys to his rental and walks away. The next guy shows a receipt along with his drivers license and gets his keys. The lady in front of me asks for a car.  
“Did you reserve in advance?” the worker asks.  
I wasn’t exactly listening to their conversation, I heard bits and pieces here and there but I started listening when the guy told the lady that she got the last car in the shop. The lady left with her luggage and keys and the gentleman asked to see my receipt.  
  
“Are there really no more cars left?”  
“Nope, that lovely lady just got the last one. Unless you reserved a car in advanced, there are none left,” he tells me.   
“Are there any cars being returned today?”  
He types away on his keyboard and says “There’s one coming back tonight around midnight and about five tomorrow early morning, then another fifteen in the afternoon.”  
  
Just my luck. I glance at my watch and now it’s too late to catch my plane. Everyone is probably boarded and the pilot is most likely ready to go after he or she is done with their checklist.   
  
“How would I get to the Via Rail station?” I ask the guy.   
“You’ll have to take the UP Express to Union Station...” He gives me the instructions, I thank him for the information and I’m off. The UP Express is basically a train that has a couple of stops in between the airport and the train station. It’s a short ride and because of it, I am actually looking forward to the long ride home.   
  
I buy my ticket and wait in a long ass lineup. I was very lucky to get a ticket because the train was leaving in twenty minutes. I paid a bit extra for a business class ticket. Might as well be comfortable, right?   
I take the escalator up, get a ticket put on my luggage and give it to the guy who puts it in the train. I get on the train and look at my ticket to remind me what my seat number is. Sadly, all the window seats have been taken so I am in an aisle seat. When I look up from my ticket, I am standing in front of my seat. I put my carry-on in the overhead compartment and look down at the person sitting next to me.   
  
I can’t see her face since she has the hood of her hoodie up over her head. She’s a chubby girl, just how I like ‘em... Katrina was a tad too skinny for my liking but she was my everything and her tiny body didn’t bother me. I take my seat and the girl next to me leans closer to the window.   
  
About thirty minutes into the journey, the train attendants come down the aisle with their food truck. When they get to my seat, I nudge my seatmate on the shoulder to get her attention just in case she wants something. Her hand shoots up to her hood and my eyes make contact with the red, blue and purple tattoo on her wrist. My heart starts hammering, trying to escape the confinement of my rib cage. I have the exact same tattoo but on my ankle.  
  
One night, Katrina and I got tipsy and we decided to get matching tattoos. We decided on a braided friendship bracelet; a red strand for her, a blue strand for me and a purple strand displaying our unity.   
  
She removed the hood from her head and turns my way. Katrina Skiba is the last person I ever expected to see on this train yet here she is, sitting next to me. Just as beautiful as I remember. Her eyes grow to the size of saucers when she sees me and I can’t blame her.   
  
I fucked up so bad five years ago... **  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**Katrina’s POV  
** Of all the fucking people in the world who could have sat next to me on this goddamn train, it just _had_ to be Drake-fucking-Walker. The man who, left me after an insignificant fight. The man who changed his number and e-mail in order to get away from me. Naturally, because I was trying to avoid him, fate brought him to me. What a major slap in the face.  
  
He stared at me and I stared back. I didn’t want to be the first to blink. I am standing my ground. I did nothing wrong. He left me and he has to deal with that. I take this time to really get a good look at him. His hair a little longer than I remember him liking it, his strong square jaw with a few days stubble looks as yummy as ever and his chocolate brown eyes still manage to make my heart melt into a puddle of goo. I school my face so he doesn’t see my moment of weakness. I am still staring at him and I see a flicker of sadness in his eyes. _Good! The Bastard deserves it!  
  
_ “Would you like something from the trolley?” one of the attendants ask me.  
I look up at the man and ask for a water. Drake asks for a whiskey (typical) and when I reach into my hoodie pocket for my change purse, he places his hand on mine and says “I’ve got it.”  
I nod and let him pay for my drink. It’s the _least_ he can do for all the emotional torment I went through over the years.  
  
When I am handed my drink, I open the bottle, take a sip from it and attempt to put my hood over my head and try to forget that the man sitting next to me doesn’t exist.  
“Katrina,” he says, “I’m sorry.”  
“OK” I say and continue to put my hood up.  
“That’s it? ‘OK’?” he looks at me as if I grew a second nose.  
“Yeah... Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some music I’d like to listen to.”  
“Katrina, please talk to me.”  
  
I turn to Drake and give him a look he knows well. A look that says he has no right to ask anything of me. How dare he want to talk? It’s been five years! Like Liam and Maxwell said, anyone of them could have picked up a phone and call me... And that includes Drake! I didn’t change my number. I wasn’t a coward. But now, the moment I’m sitting in front of him and can’t escape, Mr. Walker wants to talk.  
  
“I’m sorry, I can’t talk to you right now,” I tell him.  
“Why not? We have nowhere to go. It’s the perfect time.”  
“I’m afraid that if I _talk_ to you, I’ll lose my cool, then I’ll be kicked off the train and stranded somewhere in Ontario. So, no! I can’t talk right now.”  
I hear the person sitting behind me snicker.  
  
I sit back in my seat, my headphones forgotten. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Drake grab his phone and I roll my eyes towards the window. I take a few sips from my water and my phone buzzes. I take it out of my leggings pockets (yes, I’ve found leggings with pockets! Can you believe it!?) and look at the text. It’s from a number I’ve never seen before.  
  
 **Unknown:** I’m sorry, Skiba. When you mentioned the army, well, I got scared. I was afraid I was going to lose you. I was afraid you’d meet someone and run off with him or you’d die.  
  
 _Fucking Drake!  
  
_ **Katrina:** So... you ran away and lost me for good? Very clever plan, Drake! I applaud your logic.  
 **Unknown:** Don’t be like that.  
 **Katrina:** Like what? Mad because you left? Or upset because you broke my heart? Oh, you mean the sarcasm! Well, since you left, I’ve become a very untrusting person.  
 **Katrina:** Now, please lose my number and I’ll lose yours.  
  
I click on his number and hesitate over the delete button. Who the fuck am I kidding? This is Drake Walker. The man I was with for eight wonderful years of my life. Lately, I’ve been looking back on those days and not because of Drake. No! My life was on track and not a wreck. I had a great career, I was loved and in love, but most importantly, I wasn’t in constant physical or emotional pain.  
Against my better judgment, I added Drake to my contact list and I could swear I saw the corner of his lips move upwards. Asshole _!  
  
^^^  
  
We will be reaching our next stop, Dorval Station, in about five minutes.  
  
“_Thank God” I murmur and Drake tilts his head to me.  
“You live in the West Island now?” he asks.  
“Not that it’s any of your business but no. I still live relatively close to downtown. I’m going to the airport to get my car,” I tell him.  
“Oh...”  
  
I grab my phone and pull up my best friend, Jan Marie, who lives in Lachine.  
 **Katrina:** I need you to meet me at the McDos near Dorval Station. Say, 30 mins?  
 **Jan:** That bad of a weekend, huh?  
 **Katrina:** You have no idea! Will you be there?  
 **Jan:** Of course!  
  
I put my phone away and stand up as the train pulls into the station. Drake has to stand up to let me out and he offers to get my carry-on for me. He reaches up for it and his shirt lifts a bit giving a nice view of some of his abs and v-line. I start feeling those fucking butterflies in my stomach and my vagina starts throbbing. I hate my body for betraying me.  
When Drake hands me my bag, our hands touch, and it sends goosebumps up my arms. _Thank god for hoodies._ I mutter a soft “Thank you” then walk down to the front of the car and step off. I hand my ticket to the man whose job is to retrieve the luggage and within seconds he hands it to me.  
As the train is taking off, I look up and I see Drake, sitting in what was my seat near the window and he’s looking at me.  
  
When I finally made it to my car, I have about five minutes to make it to the restaurant where I asked my best friend to meet me. We’ve been best friends since the first day of high school. We were both reading Harry Potter and we would just always hang out after that. Despite coming from way different backgrounds, we had similar interests and values so it was a friendship made in heaven.

It’s relatively late in the evening so the restaurant isn’t busy. Jan Marie is sitting down at a table and when she sees me, she gets up. I give her a hug and we walk to the cashier.  
“Bonjour, Hi,” the typical customer service greeting.  
“Hi, I’ll have the number one, replace the fries with a poutine. I will have two sausage breakfast sandwiches, four apple pies and a large Oreo McFlurry with two spoons, please,” I tell the lady then I turn to Jan and tell her I’m paying. She orders a large coffee.  
“So... it was a horrible weekend,” she says when we sat down at a table with all the food. I bite into one of the breakfast sandwiches and say “Yup!”  
I normally don’t talk with my mouth full and my bestie knows it. There’s only two reasons why I would do such a thing and it’s either to issue a warning of some kind but don’t have the time to chew and swallow my food or when I am emotionally spent and couldn’t give two shits about what I look like.  
  
“Tell me.”  
  
Those two simple words from my best friend has the waterworks flowing. I finish chewing whats in my mouth and tell her everything. From my run-in with Liam and telling him what happened between Drake and I.  
“Oh my God! Did you see Drake at all this weekend?”  
“I was able to avoid him at the hotel. When Liam told me Drake was going to be on the same plane as me, I bought a train ticket.”  
“Well, that’s good then...”  
I take a sip of my coke and shake my other hand from left to right.  
“Apparently planes are too good for Drake! He also decided to take the train and he bought the seat next to mine!” I say swinging my cardboard coke cup around and some of the liquid sloshing onto the ground.  
“How did he look? Please tell me he looked horrible...”  
I take a small bite of my poutine.  
“He looked devastatingly handsome,” I say with a pout, “but his eyes... there was sadness there.”  
  
I grab the two spoons and hand one over to Jan Marie. She takes it and we both go to town on the McFlurry. “Oh sweet cheap ice cream and chocolatey Oreo goodness! Katrina, you are going to make me fat!” I laugh and say as I grab a handful of fat from my lower belly “I have to bring someone down with me.”  
  
After my meal is done, I hug Jan and thank her for listening to me. As we’re walking out of the restaurant, my phone chimes and I look at it. I stop in my tracks and Jan Marie looks over my shoulder and reads the text.  
  
 **Drake:** It was nice seeing you today. You look amazing, by the way. Time has been good to you.  
I know we didn’t get to talk much but I truly am sorry about what happened. I fucked up and have had to deal with my horrible decision since then. Please, let me take you out for a drink sometime. You have my number. Just as friends.  
  
“Are you gonna go?”  
“I don’t think so... He really... Drake hurt me, J. Why should I let him back in just so he can run for the hills again?”  
She takes my phone from my hands and reads it out loud.  
“If I was the one who ruined our relationship and sent you this text, would you go out for a drink?”  
I thought about it for a minute. If she had somehow managed to destroy our relationship, would I be able to forgive her?  
“I guess... But there’s a big difference between the type of relationship you and I have versus what Drake and I had. He clobbered the future I imagined with him...” I couldn’t finish my train of thought because I started crying. Jan hugs me and says “You don’t have to answer him right now... Let him sweat a bit. Just think about it, OK?”  
I nod.

At home, I leave my luggage and carry-on in the front hallway and walk up the stairs to my bedroom. I open the bottom drawer of my bedside table and pull out a photo album that I haven’t looked through in years. It’s the album filled with pictures of Drake and I. I look at them and I can’t help but smile at how young we looked back in college. We were 17 and 18 years old and we were in love. It was pretty much love at first sight. _Damn he was handsome... He still very much is...  
  
_ I put the photo album away and then open the top drawer to get my clit sucking vibrator out. I lay down on my bed, pull down my leggings and panties and place my toy where it stimulates me the most. Remembering the way Drake was so attentive to me in bed, the way we moved together and the powerful orgasms he made me feel has me writhing in no time. The second my mind thinks back to Drake’s abdominal muscles and v-line from earlier throws me over the edge.  
I place my toy on the bed next to me, I close my eyes and have my first dreamless sleep in god knows how long.


	4. Chapter 4

**Drake’s POV  
** My way of waving a white flag at Katrina was to invite her out for drinks as friends. I was hoping she’d reply the next day but it’s nearly been a week. I clearly fucked up any chance of a relationship with her. When she came to me and mentioned the guy wanted her to be stationed in Egypt, I flipped out. Every time I turned on the news channel or scrolled online, the headlines showed how dire the situation was over there and I couldn’t bare to lose her.  
  
Yeah, I didn’t handle the situation elegantly. The love of my life was willing to risk her life for what? Some random people she doesn’t know? Soldiers who knew what they were getting into when they enrolled into the army. Not that I have anything against the men and women who fight for my freedom but my Katrina is too precious for a battlefield. At least in the operating room of the hospital, she was safe.  
  
When she started calling me names, I completely lost it on her. I had to quit school and find a regular job to help support my sister. My father died and without his salary, my mom could only afford to pay rent and have food on the table which meant Savannah had no means of paying for school. Even with the bursaries and partial scholarships, it wasn’t enough to pay tuition. If it was between me and Savannah, she deserved a life; a good life. So I sacrificed getting my masters in electrical engineering so she can become something important. This way, she can focus solely on her studies and she didn’t have to get a job.  
I couldn’t stand by and watch my girl get killed so I did the only thing I thought was right. I moved out.  
Worst fucking decision of my life!

The last five years have been extremely horrible. My family and friends had to do an intervention. I was drinking so much and they made me see that this wasn’t the life I wanted. I had a dream of having a great career where I could do some good work with my hands. But most importantly, Katrina would be by my side through all of it.  
That was my wake up call. Savannah and my mom moved into a smaller place with cheaper rent and I went back to school. I had no life whatsoever for four years. All I did was eat, sleep, school, repeat. I took extra courses during the semesters and also went to school during the summer and winter to catch up. When I focused only on schoolwork, it was easy so I decided to get my PhD. It was hard work but now, I work at Bombardier and the part-time gig with Liam and Maxwell.  
  
So when I saw that friendship bracelet tattoo and laid my eyes on my perfect woman in the train last week, I knew I had to do anything to get her back in my life. When she told me that she’s had trust issues since I left, I couldn’t blame her but I will do anything to gain her trust back. No matter how long it takes. I’m only 33 years old, hopefully I have another fifty plus left in me. If I marry Katrina on my death bed, I can die a happy man.  
  
It’s Saturday so I am on my way to the Keto Shop when I get a text. I have the latest tech in my very old truck so I ask my car to read the text to me.  
  
 _Text Message from Katrina: Hey, I’m free tonight for that drink.  
  
_ “Text Back: Sounds great! I will text you the time and place.”  
I walk into the store with a spring in my step. Both Maxwell and Liam look at me in such a way that makes me ask them what they’re looking at.  
“You have a spring in your step,” Liam says.  
“Yeah, it’s like you’re... dancing,” replies Maxwell.  
“If you must know, I am going on a date tonight.”  
  
My friends look at each other and then back to me.  
“Your first date since Katrina, huh? Who’s the lucky lady?”  
“Katrina,” I laugh, “As if I’d date anybody else.”  
  
Maxwell was taking a sip of water when I mentioned Katrina and he spit out his drink, making him cough that sounded like one of those monsters on Sesame Street that has a honker for a nose. Liam pats his back, making sure Maxwell isn’t choking before looking at me with wide eyes.  
“Katrina? When did you two start talking again?”  
“The airport didn’t have anymore cars left so I took the train and she was next to me.”  
“So... you two hit it off again?” Maxwell asks.  
“She wasn’t exactly thrilled to see me and I can’t say that I blame her.”  
“Yeah, no shit!” Liam says with a little bit of an edge in his voice. “I didn’t want to say anything but really? You left because of a little fight _and_ you changed your number so she couldn’t call you!”  
I sigh. “It didn’t seem like a little fight at the time, plus I went back two days later to apologize...”  
“But she was gone! You messed up! Since then, she’s had a rough life... All because of you!”  
  
I stand there while my friends look at me in disgust and go back to work. I head to the back of the store and start working on opening the boxes. I place the items from the boxes in baskets so Liam, Maxwell or one of their two employees, Hana & Olivia, can put them on the shelves. After a couple of hours, all of the boxes are opened and since nobody is talking to me, I decide to leave early so I can get a haircut and get ready for my date.  
  
^^^

I am sitting at a round table built for two waiting for Katrina. I told her to meet me at ten but she’s about twenty minutes late. The waitress, a dyed beach blond, comes up to me and asks if I’m ready to order a drink. I tell her two whiskey’s. She places a hand on my bicep and squeezes a bit “waiting for a friend, are you?” she asks with a twinkle in her eyes. It takes everything in me not to roll my eyes at her but I tell her “Yes, the most beautiful woman in the world.” As if on cue, Katrina slides next to me, wraps her arm around my arm and kisses my cheek.  
“Yup, that’s me.”  
The waitress leaves instantly and Katrina slips her arm out from mine and sits in the chair in front of me. I look at her and ask why she did that.  
“You hated being hit on, I figured I’d help you out,” she shrugs.  
  
We sit in silence when another waitress brings over our drinks. I guess Blondie is too embarrassed to show her face. I don’t mind, she’s not my type. The only type I have is the gorgeous woman sitting in front of me. A Goddess. My Goddess.  
“Can I have a diet coke, please?”  
The new server smiles and nods before going to grab Katrina's drink.  
  
I pick up my glass and nod to the other. “Not drinking?” I ask.  
“I don't drink anymore. I don’t really want to get into it,” she tells me and I nod while taking a sip of my drink.  
When Katrina gets her coke, she takes a sip and sets the glass down. It’s a bit awkward between us, something I’m not used to. We used to be so open and happy and very talkative. It’s like we don’t even know each other.  
  
“Drake, I need to get something off my chest.”  
I hold out my hand in a way that tells her to continue her train of thought.  
“I want to apologize for that night. I said some things that were mean and I hope you believe me when I say that I wish I could have caught them in the air and swallowed them back down. What I said was unfair and probably the reason you left. So, for that, I’m sorry.”  
“No, don’t do that! Don’t put the blame on yourself. It was all me, you hear me, Katrina? It was all me.” She looks up at me and after a few seconds, she finally nods.  
  
The rest of the evening, we talk about a bunch of shit but she doesn’t give me much. She’s afraid to open up and I honestly can’t blame her. I was a coward. I should have fought for her to stay. What Liam said earlier, that Katrina has had a rough life since I left really got to me.  
“Hey,” I say, “Let’s dance!”  
Katrina closes her eyes a bit and shakes her head.  
“Nah, I’m good. I’m actually in a lot of pain right now, I’d rather sit.”  
“Pain?”  
“I was... in an... accident... not long after you had left and I’ve just been in pain since.”  
My eyes grow big and I instinctively reach for her hand which she lets me hold.  
“I needed quite a few operations because of it and I have issue with scar tissue. But then, the amount of pain I’m in, and the places it hurts, has nothing to do with the operations. My doctors think the accident triggered fibromyalgia that may have been dormant.”  
I squeeze her hand and tell her that I’m sorry. She shrugs and finishes her drink.  
  
The bartender flashes the lights and calls out the last call. I stand up from my chair and take my wallet from my jeans and place a bunch of twenties on the table. Katrina and I walk out of the bar and I offer to drive her home.  
“Thank you but my car is parked a block that way,” she points in the direction of her car.  
“Oh! You got your license?”  
She chuckles a bit then says “I’ve had my license since before I met you. I just never bought a car. Not to mention, you loved driving your truck so...”  
I smile at her. “I do love my truck.”  
  
She looks up and smiles at me. “Well, this has been fun.”  
“Yes, I hope we can do this again some time soon. Maybe even invite Liam and Maxwell too?”  
“That sounds like I plan. I may just invite Jan Marie to come too since she perked up a bit when I told her I saw Liam last weekend.”  
We laugh together.  
  
I lean down and kiss Katrina on the cheek and tell her to drive safely. She turns around and I watch her until she crosses the street and disappears behind the building.  
I smile to myself and walk to my truck.  
 _Baby steps, Drake. Baby steps..._


	5. Chapter 5

**Katrina’s POV  
** My evening out with Drake was nice. Even though he’s not my favourite person in the world right now, it was nice being around someone familiar. Not to mention, he’s an absolutely God of a man. I would gladly give up a years’ salary just to look at him thoroughly for an hour. Being in his presence made me feel more relaxed than I’ve felt in a while. And seeing that waitress all over him when I walked in... well, let’s just say I was in a jealous rage.  
  
When my lips touched his cheek, a jolt of electricity went down my spine, just like the first time we kissed all those years ago in college. The first time-and only time- I kissed Tobias, I felt absolutely fuck all. He was good for sex but even then, he never scratched my itch.  
I gave up on ever finding love again. I was destined to be a crazy cat lady without the cats. No, I would be the crazy scalpel lady since I have a collection of them. At the end of the night, Drake kissed my cheek and I felt a buzz, like I had a few drinks in me. _What is it about this man that drives my body nuts?_

I got home pretty late and offered my mom to stay in the guest bedroom but she wanted to go home and sleep in her own bed. Not that my guest bed is uncomfortable but who wouldn’t sleep in their own bed if they had the option.  
  
In the morning, I open my eyes to have my nearly two year old toddler staring at me, her face right up in front of mine. She yells out a fit of giggles and runs out of my room. I smile, throw the covers off me and run after her. There’s a baby gate at the stairs to prevent her from falling down.  
“Toast” she says while pointing down the stairs.  
“Toast or pancakes, Baby Girl?” I ask.  
She places a finger on her chin and thinks about it. She starts twisting from side to side and a huge grin plasters across her face.  
“Fan bakes!” she yells her attempt at the word then jumps up and down.  
“Alright!” I say as I pick her up and unlatch the gate to go downstairs.  
  
I sit her down in front of the television and play Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for her. I walk into the kitchen, reach into the cabinet for a sippy cup, which I fill with some milk then offer it to her. When I return to the kitchen, I get started on the pancakes. Right in the middle of flipping the pancakes, my phone chimes. I look at the time and ignore the text. It’s 8a.m. so it’s just my mom’s daily morning text to ask how Annabelle and I slept.  
  
I place a small pancake on a plate and add a bit of maple syrup before cutting it up into small bite size pieces for my daughter. Then I place four on mine, add the butter and maple syrup before placing both plates on the table.  
“Annabelle, breakfast!”  
She comes running in and yells “Fan Bakes!”  
  
After breakfast, my little one and I get dressed and we head out the door to the indoor jungle gym. I promised her a while ago that we’d go and she forgot all about it until we pulled up right in front of the building.  
“Fun park! Fun park!” she screams from her car seat in the back.  
I park into a slot, step out of my car, grab my purse and then release my little tropical storm from the confines of her car seat.  
  
She holds my hand as we walk through the lot and into the building. Liam is sitting there with his older brother, Leo, and the twins. When Liam sees me, he stands up and comes to me for a hug. Annabelle has never seen Liam before so she proudly-and boldly- yells “Stwanger Dannnger!” which gets the attention of everyone in the lobby. I laugh and kneel down in front of her.  
“Baby Girl, Liam is mamma’s friend. And the guy next to him is his brother, Leo.”  
They both wave.  
“And this is Adam and Brianna, my twins,” Leo tells Annabelle with a smile.  
  
It takes Annabelle a few minutes to accept my friends and the twins. Leo agrees to go ahead and wrangle the kids around the playground while Liam and I catch up.  
“So, Maxwell didn’t want to come?”  
“Ah, Max is with his baby right now. He’s way too busy for something like this,” he says nonchalantly.  
“Did you just say Maxwell has a baby? Oh my God!” I place a hand over my heart and look off in the distance. Liam chuckles next to me.  
“The store is his baby. He hasn’t sired any offspring. That he knows of, anyways...”  
His response makes me laugh. “Oh my God! Liam, don’t scare me like that!”  
  
Liam and I get up from our bench and help out Leo a bit. For a man who is in exceptionally great shape, running after three kids under the age of five is tiresome. I only have one kid and I don’t know how I do it!  
  
We order food at their concession stand and the kids, as well as the adults dig into their foods.  
“Liam told me you went out on a date with Drake yesterday” Leo asks.  
I look over at Liam and he puts his hands up in defence. “What? I was shocked when he told me!”  
“It was just drinks. We caught up a bit and then we went our separate ways.”  
“Does he know about her?” Liam points to Annabelle.  
“Kids were never brought up so, no. He does not know about Annabelle and I really don’t want him to know anything until I know what I want to do about Drake.”  
“What do you mean?” Leo asks.  
I give a small sigh and say “I don’t know if I want to truly let him back into my life. I’ve done pretty well by myself so I don’t need him...”  
“You may not need him but do you want him? That’s the question.”  
Leo is a smart guy. I nod and point a finger at him which has Liam nodding along with me in understanding.  
  
It’s 2pm and we decide that it’s time to blow this cookie stand. I tell Annabelle to get her shoes and jacket on while I check my messages. The text from earlier was not from my mom but from Drake.  
 **Drake:** Last night was great, would you like to go out for a coffee next sometime?  
I write back,  
 **Katrina:** I’m kinda busy this week with work and stuff. I do my groceries on Friday if you want to tag along?  
 **Drake:** Sounds good, just let me know where and when to meet you.  
I place my phone back in my purse and smile.  
  
^^^  
  
Like I mentioned to Drake, my schedule is quite busy. I spend every weekend and Monday with my daughter. I work the next three days and I give myself Fridays to run errands while Annabelle is at daycare. If there’s an emergency with my girl while I’m at work, my mom is there to help me. I am so grateful for her.  
  
I ask Drake if we can take his truck because this week, I am stocking up on a bunch of stuff and my small car just won’t do it. Also, I don’t need him helping me put my groceries in my car and spot the car seat. _Nope! I’m not ready to have that conversation with him._

Drake drives up to my curb and he smiles at me. “You live ten minutes away from me” he says.  
I nod at him. I know exactly where he lives because I still talk with his mom and sister. The three of us get together sometimes and just chat. I made them promise me that they would never speak about me to Drake and so far they’ve kept up their end. I’m also grateful for that.  
  
I jump in a we drive off.  
“So, where to?” he asks.  
“I need to go to Walmart and Maxi so I guess Lasalle.”  
He drives just as well as I remember. He still has the same truck that he had back in college. It’s a little rusty on the outside but the engine purrs like a happy cat.  
  
We walk up and down every aisle at Maxi and talk about stuff. He asked a few questions about my life and I gave him short answers that didn’t divulge anything that I didn’t want. I don’t want to sound like a bitch, or at least it sounds like it to me, but I am keeping my guard up. I don’t think anyone can blame me for that. When I’m done at the grocery store, we make our way to Walmart where I need a bunch of bigger items and the truck will definitely come in handy.  
  
“Alright, I need laundry soap, a bookcase and a ceiling fan,” I say. “Maybe I should check to see if they have a shaper or something like that.”  
Drake gives me a weird look. “What the hell is a shaper?”  
“Oh! It’s like underwear or a tank top that hides or smooths out your rolls,” I tell him while gliding my hands down my ribs to my hips.  
Drake looks me up and down and walks up to me. He grabs my hips and yanks me to him. He stares into my eyes and he says “You don’t need to hide your rolls. You’re beautiful the way you are.”  
His words make my naughty bits heat up.  
“My, my, Drake... Are you a chubby chaser? You like this _fanny pack_ I carry around?” I tease him and smirk. The extra flab in my lower belly is obviously from the two babies I’ve given birth to and because of the pains I have, my workout plan is minimal, hence the pooch I carry.  
Drake pulls me closer to him and he leans down so that our lips are inches apart.  
“Even if you were chubby, which you are not, I’d still love you,” he says, quickly kissing me and gently passing his tongue over my lips before pulling back. “I need to buy some shirts. Take the cart with you and then we’ll meet up in the home decor section for that bookcase you need.”  
  
I suck my bottom lip and close my eyes when he turns around. I can taste the orange juice he had this morning and I let out a soft moan. _What is this man doing to me?  
  
_ I pick up the laundry detergent and go pick up the ceiling fan before making my way to the aisle that has the shelving unit I wanted. He places his shirts in the cart and helps me with the giant ass box. After I pay for my things and Drake pays for his, he helps me get everything into his truck and we drive off.  
He’s quiet and I wonder if it’s because of the kiss.  
  
“You’re awfully quiet”  
“I ran into Toby in the mens’ section. He had some pretty interesting things to say.”  
 _Fuck me! Of course Tobias would be at Walmart and of course he’d say something!  
_ “Oh please tell... I can’t wait to hear this...” I say, dripping with sarcasm.  
Drake looks at me and I can tell he’s not exactly happy.  
“He said that you two dated.”  
I roll my eyes.  
“We were room mates!”  
“Did you guys fuck?” he asks, his voice getting a little pitchy.  
“Yeah, five times... and it sucked every time,” I sigh.  
“Really? Five times?” he sounds hurt.  
“Like you haven’t slept around in the five years we’ve been apart!” I raise my voice at him.  
“I have not!”  
“I find that hard to believe! You never dated?” I say.  
“I went on a couple of blind dates that Maxwell and Liam set up but I never once accepted their advances or brought them back to my place.”  
  
One of his hands goes to his throat and it takes me a while to realize he’s touching the chain he wears around his neck. He never had a chain when we were together. I wonder when he started wearing one?  
  
“He also mentioned that you got away with murder...”  
“Fucking Tobias... I didn’t murder anybody. It was an informed decision.”  
“So you did murder someone?”  
“Obviously I did not or I’d be in prison right now! Drake, are you really going to take Tobias’ word over mine?” I ask him.  
“What happened?”  
“The person in question was far too sick. No amount of medications or operations would have saved him. So instead of putting him through unnecessary pain, I did the humane thing and made him comfortable until he passed away peacefully.”  
  
Drake pulls up in front of my house and I jump out and start bring the bags of groceries up the stairs to my front balcony. Drake, without saying a word, carries the bookcase up and sets it up leaning against the brick of my house before going back to his truck and brings up some more bags.  
  
I open my front door and he asks in a gruff tone “Where do you want the bookcase?”  
“It’s fine. Thank you for your help but you can go now.” I say stiffly.  
“No, really. Where do you...”  
“Drake! I’ve been doing fine on my own without you for five years. I’ve got this. You. Can. Go!”  
  
He nods and I can see the hurt in his eyes. I hate seeing him like that but, goddam! Fucking Tobias!  
Drake gets into his truck, looks at me one last time before driving off down the street, leaving me feeling empty inside.


	6. Chapter 6

**Drake’s POV  
** I drive to the store because I still had some boxes left to open in the warehouse. I don’t know how I got to work? I must have been driving by memory and I’m shocked that I didn’t cause an accident of some sort or got pulled over because I got to the store in record time.  
  
My presence was announced by a bell ringing overhead _-that’s new-_ which made everyone who worked in the store stop what they were doing to look at who came in. Liam sees me and frowns. He knows I went to see Katrina and he knew how excited I was to spend more time with her. I can only imagine the sour puss look on my face as I stalk to the backroom. Liam follows.  
  
“What happened?” he asks.  
I sigh. I’m not good at this. I never tell people how I feel. I don’t communicate but ever since Katrina came back into my life, I decided to make an effort. I shake my head and tell Liam everything. I thought he’d be sympathetic but his expression grows angry as his cheeks are getting redder, his eyes are getting darker and his nostrils are flaring.  
“Are you on a whole ‘nother level of stupid?” Liam practically yells at me. If he was an Italian mom, I’m pretty certain I would have gotten a smack on the back of the head. “Don’t you remember how jealous Toby was when Katrina and you were dating? Of course he’d say those things! Not to mention, he was verbally abusive towards her after...” he hesitates, “I can’t understand why you’d believe a word he said?”  
“He what?” I ask, anger raising in my chest.  
“Yeah... Not my story to tell but mark my words Drake, you better fucking apologize to Katrina.”  
  
Liam storms off into the store and leaves through the front doors. He probably needs a few minutes to breathe before dealing with a customer. Maxwell then comes in, thumbing over his shoulder at Liam with a questioning look. I gave him the abridged version and he just shakes his head slowly.  
“Max, do you know who she let die?” I ask him, pleading for him to tell me.  
“Noah...”  
I search my brain for a Noah that we knew from College or University but no one is coming to mind.  
“Who the fuck is Noah?”  
“Don’t tell anyone I’m telling you this,” he looks around to make sure nobody can hear him, “Noah was Katrina and Toby’s son. He was very, very sick and he had absolutely no chance of...”  
Maxwell shakes his head. “You didn’t hear it from me and don’t bring it up with Katrina. Just let her tell you when she’s ready.”  
I nod, Maxwell taps my shoulder a few times and heads out to the cash where he takes over for Hana.  
  
The bomb that Maxwell just dropped suddenly exploded in me. Tears start streaming down my cheeks at the thought of Katrina having some man’s kids. And Toby on top of that. Then, when their son died, he actually accused her of murdering him and calling her names. _What kind of person does that to someone they supposedly love?_ I’m no better than Toby.  
  
I think back to everything I know about Katrina since I left:  
\- She joined the army.  
\- She was in an accident but I don’t know if the accident happened during or after her tour in Egypt.  
\- She and Toby moved in together, had a kid and that kid died.  
\- He treated her badly.  
  
No wonder why she’s so guarded. No wonder Liam gets mad every time I do or say something stupid. Katrina deserves the sun and moon. If I could give them to her, I would. I would do absolutely anything for her.  
  
Anger builds up in me again at the thought of Toby hurting Katrina and I’m also mad at myself for letting him put a wedge between her and I. Why did I believe him? I should have known better than that! The rage building inside me needs to get out so I take a giant jar of pickles and smash the bottle against a wall. Maxwell and Liam come running in and stare at the mess on the floor.  
  
“What happened?” One of them asks, I’m not sure who because I’m not thinking straight.  
“I’m going to kill that motherfucker! How dare he treat Katrina that way!”  
I run out of the store and get in my truck before either of them can stop me. I use the hands free setting to call a bunch of people I know who may know where Toby lives.  
Finally someone tells me where to find him...  
  
 **Katrina’s POV  
** After bringing in the heavy box and putting away the groceries, I call up Jan Marie. It took her a few rings before she answered.  
“Hey girl, I bought the bookcase for Annabelle’s room, you want to help me put it together?”  
“Yeah, I’ll be there in twenty.”  
“Thanks.”  
“Is everything OK? You sound... off.”  
I take a deep breath and tell her that I was just in a fight with Drake. She’s quiet so I say “I’ll get the pieces out of the box to make sure everything is there. See you soon.”  
I hang up the phone before she can answer.  
  
Jan shows up and we get started on the shelving unit for Annabelle’s room. I’ve always loved working with my hands so building things and surgery always put me at ease.  
“You wanna talk about it?” Jan Marie asks.  
“Long story short; Drake saw Tobias. Tobias said some things. Drake took his word over mine. Our argument got heated and that’s when I told him to leave.”  
  
Jan sits back onto her calves and thinks a bit. She’s a psychiatrist and it’s fascinating to see her do her thing. Only if you’re not her subject.  
“I haven’t spoken with Drake but is it possible that he was jealous?”  
I actually laugh. A guttoral laugh. When I’m done laughing I let out a long sigh.  
“I just wish I knew what was going on in that thick skull of his or how he feels...”  
“Can’t you two just sit down with no distractions and just talk... Most of my clients come to me for help but they didn’t even try the one thing that helps the most; communication. You need to talk to Drake.”  
“If he texts or calls me, I’ll set something up. I’m not going to chase after him.”  
“That’s fair.”  
  
When we anchored the bookcase to the wall in my girls’ room, we decided we needed a drink. We run to the kitchen where I keep my wine fridge in the walk-in pantry. I grab my most expensive bottle of red and two wine tumblers before pouring a generous amount in both glasses. Jan Marie and I sip and talk about our week. She really does perk up whenever I talk about Liam. It’s truly hilarious to see.  
  
Jan was in the middle of telling me about on of her patients when my phone starts ringing.  
“Hey! Maybe it’s Drake?”  
I pick up my phone from the counter and look at the number. “Highly doubtful, it’s from an unknown number.” I answer it, “Hello?”  
  
“Hi, This I’m Susanna Deschamps, the unit coordinator from The Montreal General Hospital’s Emergency Department. I’m sorry to bother you but you are the emergency contact of a Tobias Bertolotto. We just wanted to inform you that he arrived at the hospital about 45 minutes ago...” I cut her off.  
“I’m sorry, Susanna, was it? Tobias Bertolotto and I haven’t spoken in over three years. I also have a restraining order against him. Whatever he’s in the hospital for, he probably deserves it. And I’m probably the last person he’d trust to make decisions on his life.”  
“I’m sorry to bother you,” she says rapidly before hanging up.  
  
“Toby is in the hospital? Weird.”  
“I think... I think Drake may have something to do with it...”  
  
^^^

The following week went by in a blur. At work on Tuesday, I was curious so I got on the OASIS and looked up Tobias in the system. He came in, unconscious with a broken nose and a few broken ribs. One of those ribs perforated his lung which required an operation. _Fuck, Drake! He could press charges against you..._  
  
By the time Friday rolls around, Jan Marie is blasting up a text storm on my phone.  
 **Jan Marie:** Can your mom watch Annabelle tomorrow night?  
 **Jan Marie:** Because we are having a girls night out!  
 **Jan Marie:** Wear your comfy shoes, we are going to be dancing all night!  
 **Jan Marie:** And getting shitfaced!!! WOOOOooooooooo!!!!  
  
I can’t help but laugh. When my girl needs a girls night, I give it to her. I call my mom to make arrangements and then text Jan back.  
 **Katrina:** Done. Who else is coming?  
 **Jan Marie:** The others. But I’ll be coming over to your house to get ready.  
 **Katrina:** Alrighty.

The next night, Jan Marie shows up at 8pm and we start doing off by doing our hair and makeup before putting on our dresses. She’s wearing a tight little dress that barely covers her Jennifer Lopez badonk-a-donk while I decide to wear a teal skater dress with a line of teal sequins down the side. I accessorize my outfit with a yellow headband and shoes.  
  
At the club Jan picked, she gives her name to the bouncer, he looks down at his list and he lets us in right away. “That was fast!” I say, impressed.  
“I rented out the VIP box. Tonight is a special night!” she smiles.  
  
We make our way to the second floor of the club where the VIP box is located. The second I walk in the room I see Liam and Drake sitting down near the balcony, watching the party goers down below. I freeze on the spot but Jane Marie says “Boys! I’m so happy you could make it!”  
Liam and Drake turn around and when Drake spots me, he looks down, giving me the opportunity to look at the drink in his hands. Well, I was paying attention to his knuckles. They have cuts that are almost healed. Almost as if he got into a fight with someone and by someone, I mean Tobias.  
  
Liam stands up and hugs Jan Marie. He gives me a weak smile and mouths “I’m sorry.”  
Jan Marie then says “Alright you two, have fun! Liam and I have reservations at The Keg!”  
“What!?” Drake and I say at the same time.  
Jan points between Drake and I, “You two need to talk about this,” she thinks about it for a few seconds, “this relationship you have going on.”  
Then she leaves, holding Liam’s hand in hers.  
 _When the fuck did that happen?  
  
_ I turn back to Drake and he offers to buy me a water. I shake my head, turn around and walk towards the exit. Drake runs after me, grabs me gently by the arm and turns me around to face him.  
“Where are you going?” he asks.  
“We are going to my place to talk. There’s no way I can talk over this racket.” I was talking about the rap music that was playing loudly over the speakers. “We’re taking your truck since J drove me here.”  
  
Drake walks just ahead of me, guiding me out of the building and towards his truck. He opens the passenger door for me and holds out his hand to help me in. Normally, I wouldn’t accept his offer but I’m in a dress and his truck is very high. We ride to my place in silence. I can tell Drake is nervous because his left leg keeps bouncing and his knuckles are white from gripping the steering wheel too tight.  
  
I walk into my house first and Drake follows me in before closing the door behind him.  
“Did you do it?” I ask him.  
“Do what?”  
“Did you beat up Toby?”  
“That’s the first time I’ve ever heard you call him Toby...”  
“Answer the question!” I raise my voice a little bit.  
Drake looks down and whispers “Yes.”  
“You know that was a foolish thing to do.” I walk up to him slowly. “A very foolish thing to do,” I say, grabbing his hand in mine, examining the sores on his knuckles. I look up and let my other hand remove a strand of hair from his eyes and push it back, letting my fingers run through his soft brown, silky hair.  
  
“Thank you,” I say, before reaching up on my tippy toes to give Drake a kiss.


	7. Chapter 7

**Drake’s POV**

The second Katrina’s mouth touch my lips, my hands reach for her ass and I pull her closer to me. She moans into my mouth and the vibrations rush straight to my cock. It has been over five years since I’ve been intimate with her and I feel like I just may blow my load right here, right now, in the front hallway of her house. Katrina’s hands make their way to the back of my neck and she pulls me closer, urging me deeper into her mouth. With my hands still on her ass and without breaking this heaven sent kiss, I bend down at the knees and pick her up. Her legs immediately wrap themselves around me and I grind her with my hard dick.  
  
“Bedroom?”  
I can’t even speak in complete sentences. This beautiful woman in my arms has short-circuited my brain. “Upstairs, second door on the left,” she says before returning her lips to mine.  
  
As fast as I can, I run up the stairs and my cell phone falls out of my hoodie pocket. I break the kiss and locate it before resuming my sprint up the stairs. Who cares about a goddamn phone when I’m about to make sweet love to the woman of my dreams? I sure as hell don’t!  
When we reach the landing, I count down to her door, burst through the threshold and gently place her down on her bed. I notice that her bed is tall. Tall enough for me to fuck her standing while her ass is on the edge of the bed. And because of that thought, my dick is screaming at me to zip down the zipper of my jeans.

  
Katrina lifts her head and looks at me through her lashes. A telltale sign that she wants this just as much as I do. She brings a hand to her armpit, finds the zipper of her dress and slides it down. I swallow loudly and she chuckles. When both arms are out of the dress, she holds it up over her breasts, almost like she’s shy to show me what I desperately want to see. I lean down and kiss her naturally pouty lips while my hands settle on hers and guide them down, along with the dress. I run my hands over her beautifully full and perky tits. Her nipples are already erect, letting me know that she is turned on.  
  
I slide the dress down even further and she lifts her ass just enough to get it off. My hand glides up her inner thigh and her legs naturally spread for me. When my finger glosses over her panties, Katrina moans and the sound is like angels singing. I start kissing down her jaw, neck and chest. I take a nipple in my mouth and let my tongue swirl around over the bud. Katrina’s head rolls back and a growl is deep in her chest ready to come out. I do the same with the other nipple but Katrina is anxious to get to the good part because she puts a hand on the top of my head and lightly pushes me further down.  
  
I quickly kiss over her stomach because let’s face it, I want to get this party started. There’s no teasing once I get there and I’m on my knees; I just start lapping her up, running my tongue all over her lips and clit. The growl that was stuck in Katrina’s throat escapes her mouth as she lays down on the bed and brings her feet up to the side of the bed, giving better access. I stop licking her long enough to whip the shirt off my back. When my lips wrap around her clit and start a soft suck, Katrina starts to swivel her hips. She’s enjoying this so much that it’s turning me on so much. I undo my jeans and slide them down to my knees. When I remove my boxers, my cock springs forward and hits the bed skirt. Just the touch of the fabric alone heightens my arousal.  
  
She tastes even better than I remember. She feels softer than I remember. But, oh, do I ever remember the sounds she makes. Those sounds have haunted my dreams since the day I left.  
  
I slide my tongue though Katrina’s folds and she goes nuts. Now she’s lifting her hips off the bed, making my tongue fuck her even more deep than before.  
“Fingers,” she pants.  
Removing my tongue, I start sucking on her clit and I insert two digits into her vagina. She’s practically thrashing and screaming right now. Both of her hands reach down and latch on to my hair. She rubs her pussy all over my face and screams “Yes! Yes! Right there! Almost....”  
  
She goes still for a second before clamping her legs shut on my head and screaming off her orgasm. _Good God, she sounds like heaven!_ I involuntarily thrust my hips against the fabric of her bedding and my balls tighten before I get that tingly feeling of my release. I start moaning, my face still stuck between her legs as she’s coming down from her high. There’s no way to stop it. I’m spilling all over the hardwood floor of her bedroom.  
  
Katrina opens her legs, lets go of my head and sits up on the side of the bed. He grabs my head in her hands and licks her juices off my face before kissing me. When she looks down between my legs and sees the mess I made, she says “Did you just... cum?”  
A little embarrassed, I say “Yeah.”  
“But, I didn’t even touch you...”  
“You didn’t have to. It’s been five years, Skiba. Five long years without you. I’m surprised I didn’t blow sooner.”  
She tilts her head to the side and gives me a smile before jumping off the bed and running into her ensuite and wetting a facecloth for me.  
  
I clean myself and the spot on the floor. I pull put my boxers and jeans while Katrina jumps into her bed and under the covers. I turn around to find my shirt and that’s when she says “Why are you getting dressed?”  
I turn back around and see that she has the covers open on what used to be my side of the bed.  
“Oh, I thought you wanted me to leave,” I tell her.  
“Did I tell you to leave?” she asks.  
I look at her and she’s not mad or irritated. It was an honest question. I hesitate before taking a few steps forward.  
“Take off your jeans. It’ll be more comfortable to cuddle that way.”  
  
My heart leaps in my chest. She wants to cuddle. I can’t think of a better way to talk with her so I pull off my jeans and throw myself on the bed next to her. She cuddles up next to me, her arm under the pillow where my neck is, her head and other arm on my chest and her leg over both of mine.  
We stay like this for a couple of minutes before I kiss the top of her head and tell her that I missed her. She looks up at me, strokes my cheek with her hand and says “I missed you too.” I lean forward and kiss her gently that she sighs.  
  
I’m stroking Katrina’s back and she’s making lazy circles with her finger on my chest. This woman is the only woman I want, the only person I need. We are both in a good mood so I take the chance and ask Katrina what I’ve been wanting to ask her.  
“Katrina, I’ve been miserable over the last five years without you. What I did was inexcusable but I really hope you can forgive me and give me another shot.”  
She sits up and throws her legs over the bed. She may be facing away from me but I can tell she’s trying to figure something out.  
“Please, Katrina. I... I love you,” I say, trying to get desperately not fuck up here.  
  
Katrina sighs and says “It’s not that simple, Drake.”  
I get up from my spot on the bed and kneel behind her, wrapping my arms around her and giving her neck kisses. “Of course it’s simple. I love you and I’m pretty sure you still love me.”  
She stands up and walks over to her dresser and pulls out a short nightgown that she lips on.  
“I think the reason why I have been so mad is because I haven’t stopped loving you. But that doesn’t make my situation any easier.”  
“What do you mean?”  
She crosses her arms over her chest, looks at me and her face drops.  
“I... I have a kid. She’s almost two years old and I don’t want her to fall in love with you only for you to possibly fuck off again and not only break my heart all over again, but hers.”  
  
I sit on the side of the bed feeling confused. Maxwell told me she had a son with Toby but he had died. Now she’s telling me she has a daughter. Is Toby the father of this one too, or was this kid the product of a one night affair?  
  
“Who’s the father?”  
“I don’t know?”  
 _One night stand, fuck!  
_  
Katrina sits down next to me and holds my hand.  
“I was in Egypt, on a coffee break in front of the hospital when a bomb went off. A week later, I woke up in a hospital bed. Someone was holding my hand and I thought it was you. I called out your name but it was Toby. He and my mom helped me throughout my operations and physio. I couldn’t stay with my parents anymore since they were so overbearing that Toby and I started rented an appartment. We were room mates and had separate bedrooms,” she tells me.  
“At one point, the physical and emotional pains got too much for me that I asked Toby to make me forget everything. Sex with him really sucked and it was all about his pleasure. It wasn’t until the fourth time it happened that I realized it always fell on the same date, every month. The day you left.” I squeeze her hand.  
  
“Because the pain meds interfered with my birth control pills and the condom broke, I got pregnant with a little boy. At first, I was annoyed but then I felt happy. I was a mom and I now had a reason to get up every morning. I told Toby that I was keeping the baby and that our sexual flings would stop, that there was no romantic feelings on my part. But I gave him two options. The first was to co-parent with me. And the second was, if he didn’t want the baby, to sign over his parental rights. He agreed to co-parent. Anyways, Noah was born ten weeks early and survived two weeks. Noah is the person Toby was talking about... about me getting away with murder.”  
  
I squeeze her hand again and kiss her forehead. She looks up and me and I see the tears in the corner of her eyes, ready to fall. “Go on,” I tell her.  
  
“There was no way to save him so I had to let him go. Keeping Noah alive would have been selfish of me and very painful for him. When Noah was gone, I felt empty. I kicked Toby out of my life and bought a house. This house. I thought about becoming a single mom because, even though it was a short journey, being a mom was amazing. I loved it, despite what happened. So, I talked to my parents about it and they were supportive. My mom was going to retire and she could help me with stuff.”  
  
She takes a deep breath and continues.  
“I made an appointment at a fertility clinic and you know, I had to do a psych evaluation and a few blood tests and ultrasounds. Everything came back normal so we moved forward with the sperm donors. They handed me ten files based on the criteria that I requested and it came down to two. I chose the one who seemed more in sync with what I wanted. Anyways, the IUI was successful and I now have my daughter.”  
  
I sat there next to Katrina, still holding her hand, not daring to let it go.  
“How old is your daughter again?” I ask.  
“She’ll be two at the end of next month.”  
I do a very quick mental calculation... 24 months plus another eight, maybe nine months for the pregnancy, that would mean the IUI she speaks of happened in April. My eyes search around for my phone until I remember it’s somewhere on the stairs. Letting go of Katrina’s hand, I stand up and speed walk out of her room.  
“Drake!” her voice cracks, “Where are you going?”  
I don’t answer her but when I reach my phone I can hear her sobbing. When I get back into her room, she’s on the floor, leaning against the bed, her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands, still crying. I sit down in front of her and grab her shoulder with a hand.  
“I thought you left.”  
“I will never leave you again, Katrina. Never. I just needed my phone.” I look through my emails and find the one I’m looking for. “When did you do the IUI?”  
“On my mom’s Birthday, April 27th, why?” she looks up at me.  
“I might be...” I hesitate, “ I might be her father.”  
  
“What? How is that possible?”


	8. Chapter 8

**Katrina’s POV  
  
** When Drake bolted from my room after I confessed to having a daughter, I thought my worst nightmare was coming true. He hates me and wants nothing to do with me. I drop to the floor and start sobbing. I never expected him to come back and say he’d never leave me again. That filled me up with so much hope. But what I never expected was for him to think that Annabelle might be his daughter. The thought of Drake being her father... I wish it were true but it can’t be. The way Drake announced it and the way he’s looking at me almost makes me think he’s telling the truth.   
  
“What! How is that possible?” I ask.  
He hands me his phone and I read the email he opened, dated in May of the year I had my IUI. It basically said that a patient had used his sperm and that he should expect a check in the mail soon.   
I look up at Drake, not understanding what the hell is going on.  
  
“I guess it’s story time for me,” he chuckles. “You know I quit school so I can help Savannah complete her studies. But, everyone saw how depressed I was so they pushed me to get out there to finish my degree and get a job. At the main campus building, there was a bulletin board with job offers and studies, you know. One of them was a fertility study. They’d take the top ten women and top 5 men. I went to the clinic three times a week for a year. I had to promise to stay abstinent, which, honestly, was so easy since I didn’t have or want anybody in my life. Well, except you, but you were gone.”  
  
The way he said _gone_ really hit me in the gut. He had left first, with no way for me to contact him, and for me to stay in our apartment wasn’t an option for me. I guess I could’ve gone to live with my parents but there was always the chance of running into Drake. That’s why I took the opportunity to leave, signing a longer contract than the original six months that was offered.   
  
Drake continues, “My swimmers are certified and because of my level of education and my health and fitness levels, I was their best candidate. I got paid handsomely for the year and of course if someone used my sperm, I’d get even more money.”   
  
I look up at him and sigh, “But that doesn’t mean my baby girl is yours. There are many reasons why a woman would need to use donated sperm and there are many donors.”  
Drake looks at his phone and then back at me.  
“Do you know the file number of your sperm donor?” he asks.   
“It’s in my safe.”  
  
We get up from the floor and make our way downstairs to my study. I flip open the painting on the wall to the left of my desk and punch in my safe’s code. It beeps twice, a green light goes on before you hear the tell-tale _click_ of the safe being unlocked. I grab the folder named _Fertility Clinic_ since it has all my documents and contracts from my business dealings with them. I flip through the pages until I find the one I need.   
  
“The file number is-” and I’m cut off by Drake, leaning into my safe and grabbing two picture frames that houses pictures of Noah. The first is Noah in his incubator, attached to all sorts of line and machines. The second photo is of me, holding Noah, whispering my regrets and goodbyes.  
“Is this Your son? Noah?” Drake asks and I nod.  
Drake saying Noah’s name made me give him a soft smile. As a bereaved mother, one of my many fears is that my child will be forgotten. Drake acknowledging my sweet baby boy by name warms my heart, more than I can say.   
“He’s so small.”  
“Small but feisty. He fought so hard but the disease was just too much for him.”  
  
Drake places the pictures down on my desk and looks at me. “Sorry, you were about to tell me the file number.”  
“Yes!” I say as I look back at the paper in my hand. “The number is GRUS-13693,” I tell him.

Drake shows me his phone and the number is a match. A breath catches in my throat while a giant smile forms on his face. “I’m a dad,” he whispers in awe, “and you made it happen.”  
  
A jubilant whimper escapes my mouth and my arms wrap around Drake, mainly because I feel like I need something to hold on to something or I’ll fall to the floor, but also because, the man gave me my baby and I am so thankful. My crazy-smart and energetic baby girl, Annabelle, is Drake’s daughter. His arms close around me and he lifts me off the ground and kisses my forehead. When he puts me down, his hands cup my cheeks and he pulls me into him for a long and sweet kiss. When he releases me, he says “I want to meet her.”  
  
“She’s at my parents’ house for the night. We can pick her up tomorrow and tell her the news,” I tell Drake, “We’ll pick her up tomorrow.”  
“Do you have a picture of her?” he asks.   
I walk over to the opposite side of the room, towards my bookshelf that contains all my manuals from med school, grab the only picture frame from the top shelf and hand it over to Drake. He takes it from me and gazes over it.   
“Holy shit!” he exclaims. “She looks just like Savannah!”   
  
I think back to the time I showed Liam and Maxwell her photo. Their reaction was the same as Drake’s. Shock. They saw it. Both of them saw a younger Savannah in the picture. It makes sense, I guess. The three of them grew up with her and knew what she looked like as a child. That’s why Maxwell said that dark brown hair and blue eyes was a rare combo. I didn’t even think about Drake or Savannah. Why would I? I had no clue who Annabelle’s father was and Drake was the furthest from my mind. My mom does have brown hair and blue eyes but her hair is very light, not dark brown, nearly black like Drake’s sister. _Well, fuck me sideways!_

  
Overwhelmed, Drake sits down in the chair at my desk. He runs a finger over the picture and whispers, “She’s beautiful.” He looks up at me and says, “You raised her all alone?”  
I shake my head, “I had a bunch of help from my parents, my brother and Jan Marie.”  
“What did you name her?”  
  
Unable to look at him, I stare at my feet. How do I tell the man, who had outlined our future, unborn child’s name and all, that I named her what he had planned to name her all along. I look up at him with sad eyes. “Annabelle, and before you get mad, you must know that I tried avoiding that name. But, I always kept coming back to it.”  
  
Drake places the picture down on my desk, next to the two of Noah, then stands up. He walks over to me and squeezes me close to him.   
“I love you Skiba. Thank you for giving me a family.”  
“You’re not mad that I used the name we wanted?” I ask him, placing my head against his shoulder.  
“Actually, I’m happy you did. It feels like fate. Whether Annabelle is mine or not, she was meant to be in our lives.”  
  
I hug Drake tightly before I let him go. I take his hand in mine and guide him back to my bedroom where we get comfy in each other’s arms. He falls asleep almost instantly, leaving me with my thoughts. _Can I let Drake back into my life?_ I have been taking care of myself for the last five years and now our daughter for nearly two of those. _I don’t need Drake.  
  
_ That thought makes me happy. I don’t need a man in my life to take care of me. I can do it all my own. I’m fucking smart, independent and damn, that fills me up with pride. But, it’s also fucking lonely.   
_Oh, so lonely.  
  
_ I look at Drake. He looks peaceful right now. A complete 180 from the man I saw a few months ago on the train back from Toronto. Then, he looked withered, wrinkled with age from years of heartbreak. Now, he appears to be a new man. The man I knew back in college. The man I was going to spend the rest of my life with. The man I was going to build a family with. The love of my life.   
  
Right before sleep takes over my mind, a quiet thought races through my mind: _You love him, Katrina. You have always loved him. You never stopped loving him. You need him.  
Fuck! Do I ever need him!_ _  
_  
^^^

In the morning, I am woken up by Drake’s lips nuzzling my throat. I give a contented sigh and run my fingers through his hair. I slight growl comes out of Drake’s mouth and I look at him.   
“I can’t tell you how much I have missed your touch,” he says.   
“Likewise.”  
  
We get dressed and make our way out the front door to pick up our daughter at my parents’ house. Drake turns left while I turn right. He stops and looks at me, “I parked this way.”  
“My car has a car seat for Annabelle.”  
“Oh, right! I’m going to have to get used to all this,” he tells me and walks with me to my own car. “Can you recommend some books to read or articles I should read?”  
“I could,” I say with a smile.  
“But...?”  
“But, a lot of parenting is improvising. I will make you learn first aid and CPR. I’d also like you to read up on safe sleeping practices, although, Annabelle is two so I will be converting her crib into a toddler bed with guard rail pretty soon. But yeah, definitely First Aid and CPR is number one on the list.”  
  
Drake nods and opens the door to my car and hops in. We drive the few minutes to my folks’ place in silence. It’s not an awkward silence, it’s quite nice. When I park in front of my parents’ house, I turn to Drake.   
“You are not their favourite person in the world, so...”  
“Don’t worry about me. I don’t care how much time it takes to prove to you or your parents, but I’m here and I’m never leaving. Never.” Drake reaches across the console and wraps his finger around the back of my neck, urging me forward and he gently kisses me. “Now, I can’t wait any longer. I need to meet my daughter.”  
  
He jumps out of the care and it takes me a couple of seconds to register that he’s truly excited to meet his child. _Man, how lucky am I to have a man that is this excited about his kid? One_ of my friends who had gotten accidentally pregnant, their man was ready to run for the hills. But Drake? He’s diving in, head first. Blindly.

I walk up to the house, Drake a couple of steps behind me and ring the doorbell five times in quick succession then walk in. It’s my parents way of knowing that someone they know is coming in.   
“It’s me,” I call to the house.   
“Mommy!” I hear my crazy kid call out.  
“We’re in the kitchen, Baby!” my dad yells.  
“We’re having fan-bakes!”  
  
I turn back to Drake and an eyebrow is arched.   
“She means pan cakes,” I correct, in a low whisper, and Drake giggles. He actually fucking giggled!!  
  
I walk into the kitchen and my parents look up and go quiet when they see Drake, their smiles slowly leaving their faces. My father is the first to speak.  
“What the fuck is he doing here? Get out!” He barks the past bit at Drake.   
“Dad... just don’t.”  
  
I sit down next to Annabelle and Drake sits across the table from us. My father glares at him. Annabelle is eyeing Drake with a curious look.   
“Who dis, mommy?” she asks.  
“Do you remember Liam?”  
“Fwend,” she says.   
“Yes. Well this...” I point to Drake, “is also mommy’s friend.”  
“What’s your name?” she asks, tilting her head like a dog.  
“Dra-” he coughs, “Humm, Drake.”  
“Dat’s a funny name!” she giggles, and it sounds just like her daddy.  
  
I sigh and turn her chair to me. She is absolutely gorgeous and I can’t believe I never noticed or realized that she is a spitting image of Savannah. As if my mom can read my mind, she gasps and lets out a barely audible, “no.”  
  
“Annabelle... do you remember asking me where your daddy is?” she nods.   
“You said he work in a bora-story.”  
“A laboratory. Yes,” I take a deep breath, “Annabelle, Drake is your daddy.”  
  
She turns her head to look over Drake and her eyes light up. My father on the other hand looks furious and my mom has covered her mouth with her hand. My father gets up from his chair and asks to speak with me in private. I follow him down the hall and into the living room.   
“What the fuck, Katrina?” he growls.  
“What?”  
“Why is he really here?” he asks.   
“Dad, he really is Annabelle’s father. Drake showed me his sperm donor number. It’s a match.”  
“You can’t be fucking serious? For real?” he asks in disbelief.  
“Yes, Dad, “I tell him gently. “And I know you are not pleased with the way things went down between him and I, but I will be giving him a second chance. He has... He’s...”   
  
I’m starting to get emotional and my father does something that surprises me; he hugs me. With one arm around my shoulders and the other cradling my head into his chest, he leans down to my ear and whispers, “You’re an adult and you’ve proven yourself over and over again that you can take care of yourself. If you feel he deserves another chance, who the fuck am I to question you? I just hate seeing you get hurt.”  
“Thanks Dad,” I say as a few stray tears run down my cheeks.  
  
We take a few minutes to compose ourselves before returning to the kitchen. Annabelle is sitting in Drake’s lap and showing him all the drawings she’s made here at my parents’ house.   
“These are beautiful, Annabelle.”

  
The sound of her name on his lips sends a shiver down my spine and straight to my pussy, exactly how I felt all those years ago when he was imagining our future. I smile and I know things are going to be just right.


End file.
